The Sudden Chill of Alexandria Quartermaine: Day Five: Thermal Tuesda
by Gillen1962
Summary: It all ends here. Alexandria's plans to destroy Port Charles are now in play. Can the citizens of Port Charles rally to save their city and themselves. Jason races through the streets on a mission of mercy. Anna and the WSB confront David. A surprise person saves Hajar and Val. Sonny finds his redemption. On the roof of GH Laura and Alexandria square off winner takes Port Charles


_The Sudden Chill of Alexandria Quartermaine: Day Five: Thermal Tuesday_

Ethan Lovett dangled from the rope harness in the elevator shaft of General Hospital. From his point of view, he was several stories high, as the drop beneath him was large but in actuality he was just below the main floor of the hospital.

He taped the plastique down to the side wall and tested the brick netting that the WSB agents who had been here before him had place. He looked up to where Toussaint Dubois stood leaning out the open elevator doors.

"Okay that is the last of them" He said as he began to pull himself up. "Now all the elevator shafts except the freight one, which has a bomb door in the load docking, and is already sealed. And all the stairs wells except the emergency one behind the Chief of Staff's office which also has bomb doors, are rigged to blow and collapse."

"Which when whatever is causing the power surge in the levels below, blows up, will force the force of the explosion down through the old sewage tunnels and out to Pier 23, it will blow the dock, but everyone has been cleared from that area. "Toussaint said.

He gave Ethan his hand as he swung in and released the harness. "Now all we have to hope is that Lucky, Annie and Anna get out of the tunnels below before we have to trigger the explosion." He said.

"How long?"

Ethan checked his watch. "We are down to less than a half an hour."

Michael Quartermaine entered the patient lounge on the top floor of General Hospital, with Faith Gatlin one step behind him. Frisco Jones the Director of the WSB spotted them and came over but before he could speak, Carly Corinthos came racing over and threw her arms around Michael's neck

"Michael you should not have come here, but I am glad you are here"

Standing next to him Faith whispered. "Girlfriend?"

"Mother" He said to both of them

"Handsy for a Mom" Faith whispered.

"Ms. Gatlin" Said Frisco. "Glad you are here, are we all set?"

Faith patted her laptop. "As soon as we get word from Dr. Garshallah on the Island we are a go."

"Great great, come over here." Frisco said.

As Frisco led her away Carly asked. "Who is that?"

"Faith Gatlin, she is the computer wizard that the WSB used to get us aces to the ELQ Satellite. She is also it seems my cousin."

"Your cousin?" Carly said "How?"

Michael pointed across the room to where Charlie Holt was approaching Frisco and Faith.

"Apparently she is Jimmy Lee Holt's granddaughter, Charlie's niece."

"Wow, and they say Sonny and I have a complicated family."

"Faith darling" Charlie Holt said approaching. Her and Frisco.

She spun to Frisco. "You need to keep that away from me."

Frisco nodded. "Assemblymen, I need Ms. Gatlin right now, the family drama needs to wait."

The Assemblyman looked but nodded sadly and walked away.

"Michael" Kristina said as she raced over to him and threw her arms around him. "You need to get me out of here, Sam and my Mother kidnapped me, we are all going to die."

"We are not going to die, Krissy." Michael said. "The WSB, the PCPD and the Mayor have this well in hand."

"They still kidnapped me."

Michael shook his head and patted his sisters back. He turned to his mother. "Joss?"

"Alexandria only required those over 21, she and Jax are leaving via the Haunted Star"

Josslyn Jacks stood by the gangplank of the Haunted Star. Around her Connor Olivera and Don Murray worked with the crew to prepare for launch. She looked over at Ava Jerome, who gazed calmly out at the water.

"Miss Jerome?" She said softly.

"Yes dear?"

"How are you so calm?"

Ava laughed. "I am not sure. I think that I have faith in Robert. I have no idea why."

"I'm worried about my Dad."

"Jax is resourceful. Terry said he was picking up a dialysis machine and taking it to the Cassadine launch and he will meet us there."

"Cam is still out there"

Ava sighed. "I am sure he left on one of the buses dear."

"ALL ASHORE WHO'S GOING ASHORE" Shouted Connor as he pushed the gangplank away and the ship began to move. "Not that I can figure out why you would go ashore."

Ava walked over and hugged Joss. "Your Father and Mother will be fine sweetie."

Joss was not sure she believed her.

Scotty Baldwin paced the hall outside of the lounge talking on his phone. "No Serena, we are fine, you and Drew and Livvie keep a lid on things there, the last thing we need is for Frisco and the WSB to fix the problem at this end and some weirdo Balkan vampire triggering a nuclear explosion."

Scotty paused. "Okay Okay I will stop the Vampire jokes. Hey, you know what, tomorrow or the next day when this is over, maybe I will fly over there and meet you and we can spend some time with Livvie."

He smiled. "Yeah I'd like it too."

As Scotty spoke the elevator door opened and a crowd stepped off. Scott's understanding was that this was one of the last elevator runs to come up here before steps needed to be taken.

Mayor Laura Webber, her husband Kevin Collins, Scotty's son Franco, his wife Elizabeth, their brother Steven Lars and Scotty's cousin and Steven and Elizabeth's Uncle Tom Hardy stepped off.

Scotty Baldwin chuckled to himself as they came down the hall. He gave Elizabeth a hug and touched Laura's arm "I know you have a lot to do, but a second?"

She nodded as the group stopped. Steven kept walking. Scotty scooped his arm under his. "You too Steven."

The doctor stopped. Scotty looked at the group. "I'm not big on speeches. But Alexandria may think that she is calling the big families to this, the Scorpios, the Quartermaine's, the Cassadines. "He stopped and scoffed "The Spencers. But this hospital, this city it was Baldwin's and Webber's and Hardy's long before it was anyone else. Lee and Gail and Steve would all be really really proud of you."

Tom Hardy grinned. "Oh God Cousin, did you just stake out head of the family."

"Damn right, who else is going to do it you?" Scotty said as he hugged Tom.

Laura tapped his shoulder, he turned and hugged her as she said. "Well technically I'm the head of this family, but you go with it Scott" She laughed and opened the door to the conference room.

Franco put his arm around Liz "So what does all this make me?"

"The Cute one." She said smiling. "I have been trying to reach Cameron." She added more seriously.

"I am sure he is on the Star; they must have launched by now."

Liz sighed. She hoped so.

"This is far heavier than I was told" Billy Murray said as he and Jaspar Jax maneuvered the dialysis machine into the back of the large bus that Jax had driven to the Barrington Circle clinic.

Jax grunted and looked in the back door of the bus, Dr. Clark Steinman had settled his patients down and they were set for the trip through town to the launch slip for the Spoon Island Ferry's where they would head to sea and meet the Haunted star.

A small boy slipped by Steinman and headed out the front doors. He was shouting something in Spanish, his mother cried out and followed him. At the door of the bus TJ Ashford moved to grab him and missed.

He slipped down the stairs and was about to run back into the clinic when Jason Morgan swooped him up and said. "Hey there, where do you think you are going?"

The boy continued to speak in Spanish as Jason handed him to his mother.

"Okay, we are loaded. "Said Jax. "Let's go."

TJ climbed onto the bus as Billy and Jason mounted their bikes.

Half a world away on Cassadine Island Valentin Cassadine and Hajar Garshallah entered the underground complex that had been built decades earlier by Valentin's father Mikkos.

"Well it looks like Agent Scorpio's idea worked, there is no one left down here. Dunbar and the rest seem to have fled." Hajar said.

Valentin nodded and looked around the room. Hajar noticed the wistful look in his eye. "Are you all right?"

He shook his head " Yes just an old memory, I do not tell many people this, I did not even mention it to young Spencer the last time we were here, but in my youth when Mikkos was moving my exile from one location to another, I spent a year living here."

"On the Island?"

"No, I rarely was allowed to go above, I spent the time down here in the compound."

Hajar thought for a moment then said softly "That must have been lonely."

"Yes. It was" Valentin said. Then he shook his head. "Come on the computer chambers are right through here."

They entered the small room and Hajar let out a gasp. "Damn. I expected them to try some destruction but this…."

The computer counsel was running but all of its' ports were sealed with thick paste and concrete

"Can you fix it?" Valentin asked.

"That is complicated, the system is running, but I have no way to feed in any program that would crack the password to fire it up. And if we can't fire it up then Molly and Robert cannot upload my program into the laser array and Ms. Gatlin's work on the Satellite becomes useless."

"So, what do we do Professor?" Valentin asked.

Hajar took out her laptop. "First thing is establish contact with Molly and Robert on the other side of the Island and with Ms. Gatlin back in Port Charles."

"And then?"

"and then we will need to manually figure out the password."

In a hallway outside of the top floor lounge of General Hospital Frank Ballentine whispered into his phone. "Yes, I am not sure how you will do it but look for your opportunity. I doubt that it you will get a better chance; she is not alone but you may still be able to switch."

In the labs below General Hospital the heat was nearly twenty degrees warmer then it was above, Anna Devane, Annie Donnelly and Lucky Spencer felt like they were walking through an oven.

"So, no chance we can do this naked?" Annie asked.

Anna shook her head at her namesake. "No Agent Donnelly we cannot."

Lucky pulled on a door in the middle of the hall, forcing it open. He pointed to the stairwell. "You know I keep wondering, when Steve Hardy and Lee Baldwin built this place, and Edward Quartermaine was financing it, what were they thinking? I mean Helena may have built up these underground labs, but that trio laid the foundations."

Anna nodded. "A lot of that is still classified Lucky. Does that stair well go where we think?"

Annie smiled and started down the stairs "Only one way to find out."

"Come on get in" Sonny Corinthos said to Officer Dev Corbin as he pulled his van up to the side of a building on Pier 23. "This area is evacuated, and we need to do the same."

Dev nodded and opened the van door. He looked around and stopped. Cameron and Nisida were racing across the street towards the van.

"Dev, hang on a second man we need your help."

"Cameron what are you guys still doing here, you were supposed to be gone long ago."

"There are some women in a basement apartment in the building at the edge of the pier. We need to get them out of there." Nisida said. She was about to say more when Sonny got out of the driver's side of the van. Nisida shook her head. "Never mind. You go ahead. We will get them some other way."

The ghost of Sonny's ex-wife Lilly gripped his arm. 'That poor girl is afraid of you."

Sonny reminded himself not to speak out loud and answered her. "She should be, that is the little bitch that got Kristina attacked."

"Cameron" Sonny said, "What is going on."

Cameron shook his head, the last time he had to deal with Sonny Corinthos the man was trying to kill he and Nisida. He understood that Sonny was in the middle of a mental breakdown but that did not excuse the fear he had placed in both of them.

"It's fine Sonny, we got this."

He turned and took Nisida by the arm.

"Cameron wait." Sonny yelled. Next to him Lilly held his arm and whispered. "Help them Sonny, it is important for your redemption."

Cameron and Nisida turned around.

Sonny gritted his teeth. "I want to help. Where are these girls?"

Laura Webber was struck that based solely on appearances one could not ask for two more different young women then Soumia Al-Fayheed and Faith Gatlin who sat next to each other both working furiously on laptops and holding the fate of all of them in their hands.

Soumia, her soon to be daughter in law, was dressed as her belief system suggested with clothing covering her entire body except for her wrists and a hijab over her head and hair. Faith Gatlin was on the other hand in a cut off mid driff shirt and short shorts with half her head shaved and the other dyed purple. Laura was pleased by the contrast. Women were finally being able to be who they wanted to be, dress how they wanted, wear their hair the way they wanted. Be it with conservative modesty like Soumia or liberal attitude like the multi pierced and tatted Faith.

Soumia was monitoring the heat buildup in the levels below GH, which would in less than a half an hour literally blows the top of the building off. She was also tracking the progress of Ethan and his team as they sealed the elevator and stair well shafts in hopes of pushing the explosion back out through the sewer drains and to Pier 23.

Faith was in communication with Cassadine Island and ready to trigger the satellite command that would counter act the heat buildup above the city of Port Charles.

Soumia picked up her head and caught Frisco Jones, the director of the WSB's eye. "Sir, Ethan has everything sealed except the fire doors on the emergency stair well in the Chief Of Staff's office."

Monica Quartermaine the current chief of staff at General Hospital smiled at those words. "You know I often thanked Steve for putting in the staircase, I used it to duck board members a dozen times, but I have never been more thankful then today."

Frisco chuckled despite the tension. "Tell him to leave that open to the last possible moment. We want to give Anna and her team as much time down there as we can."

Anna and her team moved along a walkway, the running water of the sewage cascading below them. Lucky nodded his head towards an opening in the tunnel wall maybe forty feet in front of them. They could hear voices inside.

They approached with caution. Anna motioned Lucky to the other side of the entrance way.

Inside Grant Putman sat on the edge of a table talking to David Hayward.

"So, Davey, this should be over soon, you excited?"

"Shut up Putman" Hayward replied.

"Gee Davey you are a broken record. It's boring being stuck down here with you."

Anna took that as a cue and stepped into the doorway, Lucky and Anna flanking her sides all of them with weapons drawn.

"Then let me make this a bit more exciting for you Putman. On your knees hands behind your head." Anna said. "You as well David."

"Anna" David said darkly "You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly David, you are willing to destroy the world for your own selfish purposes."

"No. I did it for my daughters, for your daughter Anna, don't you want Lenore back?" He said pleading.

"Not at the cost of the world. Now on your knees hands behind your head."

Grant smiled. "Now come on Anna you know that I am not going to do that."

"Then we will blow your head off" Annie said.

"Oh, so much like your Auntie filled with fire." Grant said. He spun quickly and hit a button on the console next to him. There was a short bubbling sound and then the water in the sewage tunnel below the walkway on which the WSB agents stood erupted covering them in slime and muck.

Surprised the agents broke eye contact and in that moment, Putman pulled Lucky towards him punched him hard in the face and shoved him into Annie, they both slipped in the muck and water.

Anna moved towards David and grasped his hands. "Just stop this David, please for God's sake just stop."

"I cannot what can't you understand" He yelled as he attempted to pull away from her grip.

Putman smiled and said. "I hope this works" and raced towards Hayward and Anna. He flung himself hitting each of them in the chest with his outstretched arms and sending them plunging into the sewage water below.

"ANNNA" Annie screamed as the threesome splashed into the muck below and vanished from sight.

More than a dozen floors above Soumia looked up at Laura and Frisco and said. "We have ten minutes. We have got to get Lucky and the rest out of there."

Frisco nodded. "Ballantine, send them the signal in three minutes."

He turned to Faith. "What is the word from the Island?"

"Agent Scorpio and Molly Cassadine are in place to hit the laser array but Dr Garshallah and Prince Valentin need to release the code first. They have to manually try the passwords, the system will not allow the updates."

"Put them on speaker." Frisco said. The girl nodded and Frisco spoke. "Dr. Garshallah, Valentin, Its Director Jones I am here with Mayor Webber."

"Well wonderful for you" Came Valentin's curt retort.

Frisco ignored the sarcasm and said. "We need to get into that system, how are you doing with the password."

On Cassadine Island Valentin looked at Hajar and shook his head as he typed in yet another useless passcode. "I am doing the best that I can." He snapped back.

Hajar whispered. 'We are going to run out of time, Chandler in Happy Valley says that the heat will reach critical mass shortly."

"Wonderful"

Robert Scorpio broke into the conversation. "Cassadine, when you enter the code head towards the south dock, we found an outrigger that Dunbar left behind. We will need to paddle fast, but we can get off the island."

"How long will it take the two of you to reach it?" Hajar asked.

"About ten minutes for us, thirty for you." Molly answered.

"But we only have twenty minutes after the code is entered before the volcano erupts." said Hajar.

"Run Fast" answered Scorpio. "I am going to pull her maybe thirty feet from the dock for safety and hold her. "

Valentin nodded. "Once the volcano blows the flying debris will be a concern, but we should easily out race the lava."

"Password people" said Frisco.

"Have you tried Ice Princess" said Laura.

Valentin smirked. "Yes, I even tried Lasha. Thank you for no input at all Madame Mayor."

Laura gave a half hearted smile. "You can do this Valentin, if Luke can figure out Mikkos' password you can figure out Alexandria's"

Valentin's face changed from concern to a large grin. He looked at Hajar and said. "Tell Molly to stand by. On my mark."

He turned and typed into the keyboard. The words appeared on the green screen in front of him. Luke Spencer.

He waited. The screen went blank and then: Access Granted.

"Faith, Molly NOW" shouted Hajar and all three women typed their codes. She jumped up and Hugged Valentin. "Amazing Prince"

He looked into her smiling face. "Yes, but now let's get out of here."

At the laser array Robert and Molly watched for a moment then the laser fired up and shot towards the sky.

"Let's get out of here Ms. Cassadine" Robert said taking her hand and beginning to run.

On the top floor of General Hospital in the lounge Soumia leaned over and showed her screen to Faith. Faith then spoke into her headset to Bobby Chandler.

"Well?" said Frisco.

"Get these people out of the hospital" said Soumia. "The Ice Princess is neutralized. But this place may still blow."

"We need to save this building" said Laura. "There is nothing on the docks, we need to send the explosion down through the sewer tunnels, as soon as we hear from Lucky."

Sonny looked into the back of the van. "Is that everyone?" He said.

The girls seven of them bundled into the back of the van looked terrified.

"Is that all of you Sonny snapped."

Nisida pushed him out of the way and leaned in speaking to the girl who had answered the door the day before. "Is that all of you?"

"Yes. All" She said.

Another of the girls spoke in rapid fire Chinese. The first one answered her. The second snapped back.

"What?" Asked Nisida

The second girl spoke. "Baby, child, In closet. Hides her from men"

"Ah damn" Shouted Nisida as she ran back towards the building.

"Nisi!" Cameron said as he set off after her.

Sonny leaned against the side of the van. The Ghost of Lilly stood in front of them "Are you going to help those children?"

"I am helping them; the van will pull out as soon as they get back."

"Sonny. Redemption is in your grasp." Lilly commented.

Sonny Sighed. "Dev, keep that engine running." He turned and followed Cameron and Nisida into the building.

A few blocks away Clark Steinman and Jason Morgan maneuvered the dialysis machine onto thee launch as Billy Murray and Jax ushered the last of the clinic patients into seats. TJ Ashford lifted a small child up and placed him in his Mother's arms.

"Okay we are set to launch "Said Jax as he turned on the boat engine and moved it out.

Suddenly the small boy from the clinic jumped up and leapt off the boat racing back down Charles street.

"Just Great" TJ said as he raced after him.

The boat lurched sharply and it took a moment for Billy and Jason to get their footing, then they too leapt to the dock but the boy and TJ had a good head start.

"I'll hold her in place" Shouted Jax "As best as I can."

"We have five minutes" Soumia said to Frisco.

In the tunnels Lucky and Annie peered into the sewage water. "She's gone" Said Lucky

"No" Annie sobbed.

"Come on" He said as he tugged her. "If we get into the lab and slam the doors the fire ball will rush past us."

She turned to follow him when suddenly bubbles appeared in the water. "Look" Annie yelled.

Anna Devane covered in sludge and slime popped up from the water. Lucky and Annie raced over and laying down on the walkway reached arms out and pulled her up.

"Hey, you two" She said with a grin.

Lucky took out his phone and sent a text to Soumia: Vent it. We are safe Love you

"Come on" He said half carrying Anna into the lab.

They made it into the lab. Anna collapsed on the floor as Lucky and Annie rolled back the large concrete doors and waited.

Soumia showed Frisco the message. He nodded. And turned to Toussaint who Soumia had set up on a laptop with the ventilation controls of the hospital "Do it!" He shouted.

For a second there was nothing but silence. Then those in the up stairs lounge could feel not a rush of cold but the pull of heat from the room. The vent shafts all over the hospital began to seal.

In the hallway outside of the lounge Ethan hit a control button and the building rocked with explosives. He popped his head into the lounge. "That's it. Fire door in the COS office sealed. Freight elevator seals everything else blown. Vent shafts open. Some where below us a ball of heat is racing through the sewers"

"Which will ignite in the sewer gas" Said Soumia "And vent harmlessly out into the River."

In the hidden lab in the tunnels below Annie, Lucky and Anna listened to silence for a moment and then a great whooshing sound like the wind of a thousand hurricanes raced outside the doors. Anna sat leaning against the wall catching her breath. Annie sat next to her. "Are you all right Aunt Anna?"

"Huh"

"Are you okay?"

Anna smiled. "David, poor David, I guess he is finally with his daughters."

Nisida ran into the basement apartment and looked around, she spotted a closet and opened the door. A small child lay in the corner, the sweat pouring off her little body. Nisida swooped her up and said. "It's okay darling. I got you."

She felt the building move with her feet before she felt the shake. Then in a sudden movement the entire structure shifted, and the ceiling began to fall. Nisida ducked away from one beam and then slipped she looked up as another was about to fall on her. Suddenly Cameron was there holding the beam up.

"Cam"

The strain on his face was painful to see. He could barely hold the beam which seemed to be the only thing preventing the entire ceiling from falling on them.

In the lounge at the top of General Hospital a small celebration was breaking out. Sly Eckhart came up behind Laura who was hugging her husband Kevin and whispered. "Madame Mayor you should call the President before Assemblymen Holt does it first."

Laura cringed at the politics of the moment but nodded. She looked around for a phone. Monica Quartermaine came over and hugged her "Good job Madame Mayor"

Laura smiled at her old friend. "Thank you, hey can I use your office for a phone call, this room is not going to be quiet anytime soon."

Monica jerked her head and Laura followed her out into the hallway and down towards the COS office.

TJ Ashford raced through the deserted area by Pier 23 after the child, he could tell that the police had pulled back from the neighbor but could not tell why.

On the docks Billy Murray and Jason Morgan fired up their bikes and rode after TJ. "Hey Morgan, I meant to ask you something" Billy said.

"What?"

"You being rich and all, you're going to replace these bikes of ours right?"

Jason did something he rarely did. He smiled and laughed. "You got it."

The pair raced towards TJ who was running in their direction the child held tightly in his arms.

"Get on" Jason said. TJ handed the kid to Billy who placed him in front of him on the cycle and nodded. Then TJ climbed onto the back of Jason's bike. As he did the men noticed the ground beneath them begin to buckle.

Cameron Webber was at the end of his strength as he watched Nisida and the child try to move from underneath the beam. He needed to lift it more for them to get out. He pushed but failed He could feel the beam slipping from his hands. Suddenly a strong pair of adult hands pushed the beam up. Cameron looked into the face of Sonny Corinthos who said.

"Go get them out of here, get to the van and Cameron don't look back"

Cameron grabbed Nisida by the arm and dragged her and the child out of the apartment and up the stairs to the door.

"The Pier area will be destroyed, but it was due for some overall urban renewal any way" Said Laura as she and Monica stepped into her office.

"Any sign of Alexandria?" Monica asked.

Laura shook her head. "No but it is only a matter of time she is out of places to hide"

The two women stepped into the office and watched as the chair behind the desk spun around

"Oh, I do not know little mouse, there is always right under your nose" Alexandria Quartermaine said as she pointed a gun at the two women.

"Alexandria" Monica said.

"Yes, and that is Laura and you are Monica, so nice we all know each other's names." Alexandria said. "It seems very fitting this end with the three of us doesn't it?"

"You won't get away with this" Laura said.

"Really that is the best you can do?" Alexandria commented. "I expected so much more from you." She waved the gun. "Come on, it is one flight up to the roof"

On Cassadine Island Robert Scorpio and Molly Cassadine paddled the outrigger one hundred yards from the dock and waited. Molly pointed up ward "Look at that smoke, she is going to blow."

Suddenly they both saw the bushes at the edge of the beach rustle and Hajar and Valentin come racing through the jungle.

"Robert!" Molly said grabbing his arm She pointed. Robert looked up and saw the lava flow over the side of the volcano. And then the explosion rocked the island. On the beach Hajar slipped and Valentin stopped to help her up as he did, he looked up as several large molten rocks came flying overhead. Several landed on the beach. The last large boulder crashed into the dock shattering it into splinters.

"Well" Valentin said. "That is unfortunate"

Jason Morgan gunned his bike as the road beneath him began to fall away. He glanced to his right where Billy Murray rode hunched down protecting the child. It was not lost on Jason that the child was an undocumented immigrant the very people Murray politically opposed. His esteem for the man grew. He could see the launch in the river. Jax was holding her as close as he dared with the pier disentangling around them.

"Right off the edge" Billy Shouted. "Up and off at the highest point."

Jason nodded. "Only Choice"

Jason pulled his bike up as he and Murray drove the machines off the side of the dock. At the apex Jason yelled "Now" and TJ Ashford and he leapt off and into the river.

On the roof of General Hospital Alexandria Quartermaine shook her head. "Laura, you have become a much larger problem then I thought you would be, and you Monica, you some how think you will steal my daughter to replace yours."

"Alexandria Give me the gun and surrender." Laura said.

Alexandria laughed. "No, I am afraid not. I have a means out of town and will need time to recover from this set back, but you two, well this is the end of the line. "She paused. "Still we are old friends the three of us, so I will give you a choice would you like to jump from the roof or be shot?"

Nisida, Cameron and the baby reached the van

"Where is Sonny?" Dev shouted.

"Start the Van "Cameron said as he flung open the door and helped Nisida and the child into the back "He should be right behind …."

His words were lost as the gas pipes under the building buckled and the underground fireball blasted out through the tenement house.

"SONNNNNYYYYYY" Dev screamed

Sonny's arms slipped and the burning beam fell. He felt the building shift as it began to slip into the river

Lilly was there. "It's okay Sonny. You are redeemed. It's over. "

He looked up at her. She was glowing, behind her was a light.

"Sonny, come with me." She said. In her arms she held a baby. His son.

"Dad" A voice echoed from the light. "Come on."

"Morgan?" Sonny could feel the heat around him, the bubbles on his skin begin to burst

The building slid slowly into the river, as he tumbled across the burning floor Sonny saw Karen. She nodded. "Sonny, you are forgiven"

Lilly grabbed his hand.

And the building fell into the Port Charles River.

Hajar Garshallah was genuinely afraid. She hugged Valentin's waist. "We need to get to the water, swim to the boat."

"The waves will keep pushing us back and we will not be able to see any more flying stones" Valentin replied.

As if on cue the volcano rumbled once more and more smoke and burning ash fell from the sky. Valentine did his best to Shield Hajar, but they were both burnt. He too was afraid, he looked around for cover of any kind. There was none. They would burn

Robert saw it first. He grabbed Molly's arm and pointed up. A black helicopter with the Cassadine family crest flew over their heads.

"Who?" Molly said as she tried to steady the boat.

"Move back from the beach, another explosion will capsize us" said Robert. "Whoever it is in that, they have to get Valentin and Hajar."

On the beach Valentin looked up at the helicopter with his family crest on it as it hovered above them. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter" Hajar said as she grabbed the ladder that was lowered for them. Valentin nodded and grabbed hold of the ladder wrapping his arm around Hajar to hold her steady.

He looked up and his face went white.

From the co-pilots seat a familiar face looked down and smirked. "Hello Uncle, how are you?"

"Nicholas!" Valentin said in disbelief.

Nicholas waved and then said. "Hajar, I have not seen you since the horse show in Dubai"

She looked up and smiled. "Hello Nicholas"

"You are alive?" Shouted Valentin as the helicopter swooped out from the island and over the outrigger.

"Apparently Uncle" Nicholas said stoically

"Well?" Alexandria said. "Oh, never mind" She aimed the gun. Laura charged and grabbed Alexandria's arm pushing it upwards as the gun went off. The two women tussled each attempting to reach the gun.

"Laura be careful the edge" Monica yelled but it was two late Alexandria forced her hand down and as Laura pushed her the gun went off and both women lost their balance and went over the edge of the roof.

"Laura" Monica shouted as she raced to the edge of the roof. She lay down on her stomach and looked down. Just below her Laura Webber held the ledge of the building by her fingertips. "Laura thank god." Monica said. "Take my hand."

"You can't hold me Monica, I'll take us both over."

The water in the river was bitterly cold compared to the heat that was in the city. Jason poked his head up gasping for air. Next to him he spotted TJ Ashford swimming towards the launch that Jax had brought around. Jason shivered he had died once in these waters; he had no intention of doing so again. He looked around for Billy and the child. He did not see them. He dove under and saw Murray float past, the child still in his arms. He grabbed Billy by the shirt and pulled all three above the water. As Clark Steinman tugged TJ on board the boat. Jax leapt in and swam over to Jason.

Jason pushed the child towards Jax. He rolled Billy over putting his hand behind his friend's neck. He sighed. He could feel the break.

"He's dead" Jason said to Jax.

"Come on we have to get out of the water, Jason. "Jax said then as he swam with the child in his arms towards the boat he added. "I'm sorry"

"Laura take my hand" Demanded Monica reaching so far over the building that Laura was afraid she would tumble.

"I got her Monica" said Ethan who lay down next to the Doctor on the roofs edge and reached his long arms down grabbing Laura by the wrist,

"Ethan thank god" Monica said as she moved from the edge.

Holding Laura's hands tightly Ethan slowly began to move himself back along the roof.

"You hang on their Mayor" Ethan said smiling. "I am not going to be explaining to Lucky and Lulu that I dropped you."

He pulled her up and for a moment they lay on the rooftop both gasping for air.

"Alexandria?" Ethan asked.

"She fell." Laura said as she slowly stood up. Monica swooped her into a hug. Laura hugged her back for a moment then turned to Ethan and hugged him. "Thank you, Son."

He smiled. "You are more than welcome. "

Monica looked out from the roof of the hospital as the dawn broke. "It's over. The city is safe. It's finally over."

(_Next the Epilogue for Book Two: Three Funerals and a Wedding. And then in Book three we turn our attention to some old soap opera tropes and try to tun them on their ears. Book Three: Siblings. Coming in 2020)_


End file.
